Collapsible boat



April 1 1924. I

H. POULSEN ET AL COLLAFSIBLE BOAT Filed March 14 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. POULSEN ET AL' COLLAPS IBLE BOAT 2 SheetsSheet, 2

mmwrzms, 69 65 fill Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

tli'lED .S'lATES PATENT QFFHQ COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

Application filed March 14., 1923. Serial No. 625,692.

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Be it known that we, Hanrvre PoULsnN and JOHN V. NmL-ssN, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boats, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to collapsible boats, especially of the type that is V-shaped in cross section, and the object is to make several improvements upon such boat and upon suitable means for holding the boat in col lapsed position and secured to an automo bile for transportation.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a boat embodying our improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 with the rear end of the boat broken away, an oardook added and a small portion of the paint removed to show the canvas covering of the boat, and a portion of the canvas cut away to expose the thin boards forming the body of the boat.

Fig. 3 is a side View of one of the oars of the boat on a scale larger than that on which the boat is shown.

Fig. 1 is a cross section of the oar on the line t4 in Fig. 8.

Fig. 5 is a top View of the middle section of the boat and the rear section placed therein and the front section turned keel upward and placed within the first mentioned sec-- tions when the boat is collapsed. The figure also shows a canvas adapted to be wrapped and secured about the collapsed boat.

Fig. 6 is a front edge View of the rear seat of the boat.

Fig. 7 is a rear edge view of the front or middle seat of the boat.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the lower end of Fig. 5 with the wrapping cloth shown in dotted lines as secured about the boat.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile and its running boardshowing how our boat is secured thereto for transportation.

Fig. 10 is a right hand end view of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a top View of Fig. 10 with the body of the vehicle omitted except the portion known as the running board.

Referring to the drawings by reference letters and numerals, the boat is V-shaped in cross section and is divided transversely into three sections of which A is the front section, B the rear section and C the middle section. The latter has its ends closed by solid bulk-heads 12-13. each of which heads is provided with three bolt holes 14: for that many bolts 15, with nuts 16. said bolts being also passed through lugs 17 left of the adjacent bulk-heads 18-19 of the end sections, after said heads are mutilated by cutting away the greater portions of them to form a clearance 20 for section A (see Figs; 5 and 8) and a clearance 21 (see Fig. 8) through which seats, oars and other parts may be placed within the section A when the boat is collapsed. Other loose parts may be placed into sections B and C at the sides of section A. where there is considerable space as shown in Fig. 5. Among the loose parts just mentioned are two removable bottom boards 22 held in place by fixed cleats 23, the rear seat 24 having hooks 25 (see Figs. 1 and 6) engaging over longitudinal cleats 26 (shown in Fig. and the main seat 27 having hooks 28 with arched portions 29 engaging over the upper edges of metal strips 30 (see Fig. 7) the gunwale of the boat having notches 31 for said hooks to descend through (see Fig. 1).

The metal strips 30 may be independent strips or they may be integral portions of metal strips 32 which are secured at 33 to the ribs 34 of the boat and have angular. portions35 secured by the bolts 15 in the lugs 17. Said bolts also hold angular end portions 86 of metal strips 37 secured at 35 in the boat section A. Similar angle strips 39 and 40 aresecured to the keel portions inside the boat and by the lower belt 15 drawn tight against the bulk-head 13 and the adjacent mutilated bulk-head 19 and a metal strip 41 reinforcing said head and preferably secured to all the strips or brackets 3739 of the front section. 4-2 is a packing strip of rubber or like material secured to the middle section 0 to make a water tight joint with the front end section. In similar manner the rear section B is secured to section C by a metal strip 41, bolts 15, brackets 37, 39 l0 and a soft packing strip 42.

The floor sections 22 and 22 and a scat 27 are permanently fixed in the boat.

The boat proper is built of a keel 43 thin boards 13 (see Fig. 2) secured by rivets 4:4 or similar means to transversely arranged wooden ribs 34: so closely spaced that they i 1 no 1 form having a removable fork for the oar collapsed boat we so that it may be detached and placed inside the collapsed boat. In order to make the oars foldable so they may fit into the make each oar in two sections and d9. On section i9 we secure, at 50, a sleeve 51 which projects beyond the end of the section where it is provided in one side with a T-sha'ped notch 52. The other section, 48, has its outer end reduced in diameter and tightly secured in metallic'tube which prevents swelling of the wood within it and fits snugly into the sleeve 51. Fixed in said reduced portion of member 48 is a radial peg e whose top forms two normally spread spring arms (see Fig. 4) which as soon as they reach the bottom of the T-slot 52 spread into the notches 56 of the slot and thus hold the sections coupled until the spring arms are pinched toward each other to allow them to be retracted with section i8 from section 49.

In Figs. 5 and 8 is best shown a strong canvas wrapper 57 having end flaps 58, 59, and side flaps 60, all provided with eyelets 61. When the boat sections have been placed inside each other as in Fig. 5 the 58-59 are folded upward and inward and secured togtl'ier by a suitable cord (not shown) inserted in the eyelets 61. The flaps 60 are then folded toward each other and secured by lacing cords (not shown) in the eyelets 61 in the large flaps. Instead of eyelets and cords we may use leather straps with buckles 62 and chapes 63 as indicated in Fig. 8.

After the boat is thus collapsed and wrapped it may or other waters on any kind of camping vehicle, but when transported on an automobile a portion 64E of which is shown in Figs. 9, l0 and 11, we prefer to stand the package endwise upon the running board 65, upon the horizontal flange of an angle iron strip whose vertical flange 6? is curved to fit as a guard about the lowerend of the paclrage. The ends of said angle iron are enlarged and formed into two clamps 68 be transported to lakes straddling the outer edge of the running board and having clamping screws 69 securing them to the board. To said curved angle strip are secured vertical posts 70 and 71 connected at their tops by a segmental guarding bar 72. Secured to the posts 70 is a two-part strap T3 having a buckle 741 and chape 75 by which to secure it firmly across the outer side of the package containing the collapsed boat. lVhen thus arranged there is no danger of getting either the boat or the automobile chafed from vibration during the transportation.

What we claim is l. A collapsible boat i -shaped in cross section and divided transversely into a front section, a middle section and a rear section, and means for detachably securing the sections together by water tight joints; said boat when set up for use having three water tight compartments separated byvadjoining built-heads so that. damage to one compartment will not affect the floating capacity of any of the other compartments, said rear section being shorter than the middle section and adapted to stand within it, and having its bulk-head formed with a clearance gap, and the front section being of a length adapting it to rest in inverted position in the rear section and extend through said clearance partly into the middle section.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, in which the front section also has its bulk head formed with gap by which to save material and also leave an opening through which to store smaller parts of the boat into the collapsed sections,

3. A boat of the type i -shaped in cross section and divided transverselv into several sections having adjoining bulk-heads a soft packing strip between each pair of adjoining bulkheads and bolts through said hulk-heads and packing strips to secure the sections together; said sections having horizontal, longitudinal metal strips secured to their inner sides and formed with angular portions with holes therein for said bolts; some of said bulk-heads having their upper portions cut away as a clearance and the lower portion reenforeed by a flat metal strip through which said bolts extend.

In testimony whereof we ailir: our signa- V tures. 

